Topic: Firm Foundation
The hymn, How Firm a Foundation, has a fourth verse that goes like this: “The soul that hath leaned on Jesus for repose, I will not, I will not desert to His foes; That soul, through all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”
In Psalm 11, David describes two different kinds of foundations. One is that of our civil foundation of government and society. The other is the foundation of faith in God.
David is worried about the erosion of the civil and social foundation, “For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart”(vs. 2). The reality is that our civil and social foundation is still being destroyed.
- The family unit is almost non-existent.
- Law enforcement is being pushed aside.
- Religious freedom is considered hateful.
In verse 3, the question is asked, “…What can the righteous do?”
1. Take refuge in the Lord (vs. 1).
- Trust in His Word. David knew God would judge the righteous and the wicked. His judgment would be just by holding up the righteous with love and casting burning coals on the wicked (vs. 6,7).
2. Seek the face of God (7).
- To seek or to behold the face of God is to seek after the Shekinah glory of the Lord. The Shekinah glory is to be filled with the presence of God that will guide the righteous in remaining faithful to God.
David’s answer to the crumbling civil and social foundation is to trust the firm foundation of God. We cannot lean on our own understanding, but must trust the Lord (Prov. 3:5). When we do, we can walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil.
Application: Two men were scuba diving at a depth of 165 feet with little to no visibility. One of the divers became disoriented and wanted to return to the surface. He wanted to go up, but in his confusion, he pulled himself down the anchor line frantically pulling on the line thinking he was going up. The other diver swam over to him, turned him around and pointed to the bubbles coming from his regulator. His only hope was to follow the direction of the bubbles. Likewise, we are to look up to the Author of our salvation if we are to have any hope in the mist of crumbling foundations around us. Trusting in God's foundation will always bring you through the crumbling civil and social foundations.
See you Sunday,
Dr. Scott Kallem